Anything But Ordinary
by Secret Lily
Summary: Kelsey Meadowes has always felt personally ambushed by Sirius Black. Yet, when she takes the time to befriend the boy that once terrorized her years at school, she comes to fall into an everescalating situation she couldn't survive without him.
1. You Learn

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Anything But Ordinary

Chapter 1-You Learn

The cool September air was shockingly refreshing the morning of the first. Seventeen year old Kelsey Meadowes pushed her trolley past the barriers hurriedly. Her sister, Dorcas, roamed immediately behind her. The Meadowes had been late that year, yet again, and barely had even five minutes to their name.

"Kelsey, Dorcas," their mother Jillian shouted from behind a huge crowd of people. "Be good this year! I don't want any letters home saying the two of you caused mass destruction at your school! No bickering this year."

With that, their mother turned around and with a small crack, she had vanished. Kelsey grinned, her long shiny brown hair sifting in her face as the wind blew.

"It's always the same," Dorcas complained. "Mum's always late getting us here and never has the proper amount of time to say goodbye to us."

Kelsey had to actually agree with her sister. Their mother was a very busy Ministry official and rarely had any time whatsoever. They had been lucky she'd even halfway escorted them.

"You go first," Kelsey offered. She rested her trolley as her sister ran through at a run. As Kelsey made to launch herself between platforms 9 and 10, she felt someone run by her, knocking her to her feet. She hadn't seen the boy's face, but she knew immediately who it had been. Only one person had hair like that and that person was Sirius Black.

Her small brown eyes squinted angrily and she made her way to the scarlet steam engine on the other side of the barrier.

Every year, somehow, Sirius managed to make her life hell. Last year it had been dumping a barrel full of melted cheese on her in front of everyone in the Great Hall. She had remembered crying herself to sleep that night. She wasn't big on public humiliation in the least and she had remembered the looks on everyone's faces as they had watched her walk out of the hall covered in orange cheese. The Marauders, Sirius' group of friends, had laughed themselves silly for weeks.

Kelsey sighed, took a deep breath in, and trudged on, boarding the train. She didn't have any close friends, mainly because she got along with everybody. She decided to get her own compartment and sleep until the train ride was over.

As she closed her eyes, Kelsey remembered the facial expression that had adorned Sirius' face after humiliating her. For a moment, it had looked like he'd known he'd done wrong. Yet, when everyone started laughing, he had gotten too caught up in his own ego and his own glory to even both to apologize.

She let herself drift off to sleep, the humiliation still on her mind. Kelsey was a slightly tall girl, at the height of 5 feet, 7 inches. Her brown eyes had been inherited by her late father and her brown hair by her mother. She was often told that she and Dorcas looked absolutely nothing alike, at other times told they could pass off as twins. She had always grown up as the older sister, the role model, but had failed to achieve that title. Her mother had expected that she lead the way for Dorcas and be sure to look out for her. Yet, Dorcas had always been a free spirit, strong-willed, and stubborn. Kelsey was stubborn as well, which did not make for a good combination. Her sister was only five feet and had the same brown, shiny hair she did. Kelsey knew that being the youngest bothered Dorcas a lot, as she was often compared to her older sister everywhere she went.

Her sister was funny and popular, not shy in the least, whilst Kelsey felt strangely awkward in comparison.

It wasn't until Dorcas tugged on her arm that Kelsey awoke. She slowly lifted her eyelids and glanced out the window. She saw the castle standing beautifully in the distance and the large gamekeeper, Hagrid, bellowing about holding a large lantern.

Sure enough, as Dorcas went to get off of the train, Sirius Black rammed straight into her without a care in the world. At the sight of that, Kelsey had had enough.

"Sirius Black," she shouted. Sirius turned around cluelessly. His magnetic gray eyes playfully gazed into her own furious brown ones. "I am so sick of you gallivanting around as if you're some kind of god! It's bad enough when you're rude to me, but you're taking it way too far by being disrespectful to my sister."

"Sorry, love," he added airlessly. "Won't happen again."

With that, he ran off chuckling with his three friends and eventually found a seat on one of the horseless carriages.

"What a jerk," Dorcas grumbled under her breath.

"You have no idea," Kelsey assured her.

After the sorting, Kelsey was relieved to return to her dorm in the Gryffindor tower. After six years at Hogwarts, she had grown to love the Hogwarts castle and her dorm room was where she spent the majority of her time. She smiled as she entered it, spotting her freshly made bed and her trunk sitting beside it. She flopped onto the bed and sighed. She heard someone walk in and didn't even bother to look over.

"They disgust me," someone cried shrilly. "Pulling pranks during the opening feast! I'm surprised neither Professor Dumbledore nor Professor McGonagall said anything. Those Slytherins could have been seriously injured."

Kelsey grinned as she placed the name with the voice. Lily Evans was almost, if not more, as sickened by the Marauders as she was. Yet, the two of them had never been close. Only friends from a distance.

Jena Smith just shrugged Lily off. "I thought it was funny," she stated. "And did you see how James was looking at you throughout the whole feast?"

"No," Lily answered stubbornly. "I can't look at him without vomiting and frankly, I don't fancy being sick."

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Ah, yes, Kelsey thought to herself. _I'm home._

"What did I do this time?" James asked, more to himself than the other three guys in the dorm room. "What could I have done for Lily to dump her ice cold, mind you, pumpkin juice on my head?"

"Hm," Sirius mused. "I really don't know. I think she was overreacting."

Remus rolled his pale blue eyes at the two others. "She was upset that we pranked the Slytherins."

"Why?" James asked. "We always prank the Slytherins."

"It's the first day," Remus reminded him. "Maybe Lily was considering that you might have grown up over the summer and this little prank served as the proof that you haven't."

"But why me?" James inquired. "Why was she only mad at me?"

"Well, mate," Peter started. "I think it might have to do with the fact that you're always professing your undying love to her and insisting that you've 'changed' when clearly, you haven't."

"Way to keep the brutality to a minimum, Wormtail," Sirius laughed sarcastically.

"And what about you?" James asked, turning to Sirius. "You're not making my status look any better by knocking down girls all the time."

"When did I knock over girls?" Sirius asked, straining to remember.

"Kelsey and Dorcas Meadowes," Remus reminded him.

"Oh, right," Sirius replied. "Yeah, I didn't mean to. It just sort of happened, I suppose."

"And you didn't apologize," James accused. Sirius shrugged. "Padfoot, you need to stop being such a jerk to people. Kelsey's in Lily's dorm. They're probably ranting about the both of us as we speak."

"That's pretty interesting," Sirius said, grinning. "We should eavesdrop."

"No," Remus replied. "What Prongs is trying to say is that you should try and act a little nicer. You being a jerk isn't helping anyone right now. We all know you had a rough summer, but that is no reason to be rude to everyone."

Sirius started coldly at the floor. He hadn't intended on Remus bringing up his family and he was unhappy that his friend had. That summer, Sirius had moved out of 12 Grimmauld Place, the Black residence, to the Potter's home. The Blacks were notoriously known for their crude prejudice and dark magic. Just being in that house had sent Sirius up the wall.

"Fine," Sirius sighed. "I guess you're right. I'll apologize later on tonight."

"Thank you," James said. "For everything, Padfoot. You know how much Lily means to me."

Sirius nodded. He wanted his friend to believe that he was changing for him. It would make James feel better. Yet, the truth was, Sirius knew that his behavior that day had made him feel more like a Black than ever and the thought of that terrified him.

He knew that he would have to apologize and redeem himself. Yet, after all he'd ever done to Kelsey Meadowes over the years, could he really blame her if she didn't forgive him?

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A/N: Short, but I was just setting up the story. Leave me a review please.


	2. Beautiful Disaster

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Anything But Ordinary

Chapter 2-Beautiful Disaster

The first day of classes always involved the perfect amount of anxiety. One was always nervous for what was to come, but excited all the same for the fresh start.

As a seventh year, Kelsey wasn't required to take _as many_ classes as she had previously, but she was forced to excel in the ones required. When asked what she wished to do when she grew older, Kelsey's mind had fallen blank. She had said she wanted to be an Auror, but she knew that wasn't the profession for her. She wanted to help, of course, but she never truly was a 'take charge' sort of girl.

The fact that it was her final year of Hogwarts had finally sunken in. That morning at breakfast, Dorcas had asked her if she was feeling alright.

So, as she sat in the Potions classroom, her foot tapping nervously on the ground and her clammy hands wringing one another, she held the perfect amount of anxiety that was acquired from the last first day of her life.

Her brown eyes drifted up as she heard laughter. Sirius Black entered, his hair perfectly windswept as usual, his bangs falling gracefully into his alluring gray eyes. His cronies, James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, the infamous Marauders, trailed quickly behind him. She watched as Remus sat beside Peter and James took a seat next to Amos Diggory, which coincidentally enough happened to be directly behind Lily Evans. Her eyes widened as she realized her seat, the seat directly beside her, was the only one available. She cursed under her breath as Sirius swiftly sat down and grinned over at her.

Her professor, Horace Slughorn, stumbled in merrily, a large grin planted below his walrus-like mustache. His large belly peaked from beneath a very luxurious smoking jacket. Kelsey turned forward as he patted down his thick, straw colored hair, his prominent eyes focused on Lily.

"Welcome back, seventh years!" he proclaimed, tossing his thick arms in the air. "This year looks extremely promising from my standpoint. Firstly, I get to start my day off with some of the most talented Potion masters in this school." He winked at Lily, who seemed to beam. Kelsey distinctly heard him mutter something along the lines of, "Old git".

"We all know what the new school year means!" Professor Slughorn stated. "New Potion partners! Now, instead of taking the time to assign you all with someone you absolutely detest, I figure I'll cut you all a break this year." A chorus of high-fives swept throughout the room. "Your new partner is the same person sharing a desk with you."

James groaned as he looked over at a confused Amos Diggory. "That'd be me, you idiot."

"Oh," Amos said, realization upon him.

Kelsey took in a deep breath as Sirius looked over at her, less than amused by the entire scenario. He did try and make light by feeding her a feeble grin, but the two of them knew already that they held no compatibility. Professor Slughorn came over and patted the two of them on the shoulder.

"What a pair," he cried out. "I can feel the chemistry flouncing off of you."

With that, he turned and walked over to Amos and James, not mentioning anything about chemistry.

Sirius couldn't help but snicker. "Did he just say flouncing?"

Kelsey laughed, in spite of herself. "I think he did."

"Always thought he was an odd one," Sirius mentioned. The two of them sat in silence for a couple of moments before he turned to her. "I feel pretty bad about running into your sister the other day. It was a cruddy thing to do."

Kelsey smiled slightly, not used to this sort of behavior from Sirius Black. "That's fine," she managed to say quietly. "Accidents happen."

"So we're good?" he asked, holding out his hand. "It's just, I don't want to have to work with someone who secretly thinks I'm the biggest prat in the entire room."

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Too late, Kelsey thought bitterly.

"I hate my life," Dorcas whined into her pillow, her long brown hair spread out all over her face. Kelsey had walked down the steps and into the sixth year girls' dorms to ask her sister how her day went, seeing as Dorcas was basically the only friend she had.

"What happened now?" Kelsey asked, plopping down next to her sister.

"Professor Slughorn, stupid git that he is, stuck me with Ludo Bagman! Can you believe that? Ludo Bagman is the stupidest git to walk the planet. I swear, that man knows how much I loathe Bagman. I mean, _loathe_," Dorcas emphasized, her brown eyes feisty and upset. "I am going to fail Potions, I just know it."

Kelsey knew exactly how her sister felt. Sirius Black was no catch for a Potions partner. He was most likely going to pull pranks on Severus Snape or Narcissa Malfoy the entire class. She wasn't looking forward to having to perform all the work herself. She wasn't that great at Potions, truth be told.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Kelsey said. "You're a very talented witch. By far more talented than I'll ever be."

Dorcas turned over onto her back and folded her hands casually across her stomach. "Who did he pair you with?"

Kelsey rolled her eyes and grumbled, "Sirius Black."

"And I thought I had it bad," Dorcas laughed. She grinned as her sister her in the head with a pillow. "You know what? I'm glad you're my sister."

Kelsey smiled softly at Dorcas. The two of them had always been close, yet sharing their fair few of disagreements. "We're all we've got in this school," Kelsey agreed. She knew that even if things were bad for her, she always had Dorcas, who would listen and tease. Her sister always seemed to be able to lighten the mood. "If we didn't look out for one another, who would?"

The next couple days proved to be a reality shock for Kelsey. During their first potions assignment, both Kelsey _and _Sirius contributed to the final product, which wasn't half bad.

She seemed to find his newfound behavior somewhat intriguing. He was much quieter now, hardly ever turning behind him to talk to Remus and Peter. She noticed how he furrowed his brow when he was deep in concentration. She supposed it wasn't healthy to find such things intriguing, but she did anyways.

For some reason, Sirius seemed _normal._ He didn't act like a jerk, at least not in front of her. He seemed concerned about his final product, adding all the ingredients carefully and correctly. For some reason, he never seemed to catch onto all the staring she'd been doing. She found that interesting as well. While Sirius was busy making the potions, she was busy observing. He was oddly fascinating to her, unlike anyone she'd ever seen. He had quirky habits. He was completely oblivious to anything and everything in that Potions classroom.

The two of them hardly ever spoke. Kelsey knew that she wasn't real eager to talk to him anyways, but she figured she'd have to. Yet, the two of them were just as comfortable in silence. They seemed to be able to connect in a way that didn't need any communication. It didn't feel strange or awkward, which was surprising. As the days increased though, Kelsey wanted to talk to him. She wanted to know if she was completely wrong in assuming he could be halfway decent at times.

One particularly chilly fall night, Kelsey slipped out of bed at 2:08 AM. She felt the cold stone floor send tingles up her legs. She didn't even bother to grab her dressing gown as the cold hardly ever bothered her. There was no worry of being spotted either as no one was up at two in the morning.

Every year since she could remember, waking up in the middle of the night had been a ritual. Her mother suffered a slight case of insomnia as well. The two of them would stay up for hours, just watching the wind blow from the porch. That was their time to bond, their time to be with one another. Her mother worked a lot, but Kelsey knew that no matter how little she saw of her mother during the day, she would be able to see her at night. Dorcas knew nothing of their little ritual, seeing as she slept like a rock, and Kelsey preferred it that way.

She hadn't been able to break the habit when she came to Hogwarts. The Astronomy Tower was normally her destination, yet during the summer she usually took a stroll out by the lake.

That particular evening, she decided to sit upon her designated windowsill and try to name the stars. She had always been fascinated by astronomy. Last year, she had dropped the course, but she always found the time to stargaze.

As she entered the dark, freezing cold tower and walked towards the windowsill, she saw a shadow sitting at one end. She walked a bit farther and saw that the moonlight revealed none other than Sirius Black.

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You've got to be kidding me, she thought.

She turned to leave when he spoke.

"You don't have to leave."

Five words. Five measly words. Yet, that was all it took. That was all it took for Kelsey to realize that maybe Sirius wasn't so bad after all. She took a chance, stepped out on a limb, and sat down on that windowsill in peaceful silence with Sirius.

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A/N: Kind of short, sorry. Had writer's block. Please review.


	3. Everybody's Fool

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Anything But Ordinary

Chapter 3-Everybody's Fool

Kelsey's newfound friendship with Sirius Black was unexpected to all and slightly empowering. She was no longer just a blank face in the hallway. As she walked beside Sirius, people noticed her. People saw her. She was a person and it felt good.

Their friendship was timid of course, seeing as the two of them actually didn't know much about the other. Yet, nearly every night, they sat up late talking on the sill of the Astronomy Tower. Sometimes, they didn't need to talk to express their words. They were happy just being in the presence of one another.

Kelsey sometimes had to wonder if the Marauders were breaking up. Sirius hardly ever spent any time with them anymore. He spent most of his free time with her. She couldn't explain it, but she knew she didn't want to. She was content with just learning more about him.

The funny thing was that she was normally very reserved and very quiet. Yet, now that she had a friend in Sirius, she couldn't find a reason to stop talking. She had so many new thoughts, so many ideas, that were just waiting to be shared with him.

Professor Slughorn had been right about one thing. The two of them did make a remarkable pair. Their potion was usually satisfactorily completed by the end of class.

The first Hogsmeade weekend was turning up soon and Kelsey was actually excited for once. She wouldn't have to spend it alone. She figured Sirius would hang out with her there. Normally, she roamed around the streets by herself. Sometimes, she skipped it altogether. Dorcas either had a date or was surrounded by a large group of friends, making it near impossible to spend time with her.

"Hogsmeade weekend," Lily said quietly one morning over breakfast to Jena Smith. "Who're you going with?"

"I was thinking about asking Amos Diggory," Jena mused, taking a sip of her freshly squeezed orange juice.

"Amos Diggory? You do realize that last year he asked me how to spell parchment?" Lily reminded her friend.

"An honest mistake," Jena insisted, brushing strands of her honey colored hair from her eyes. "More importantly, who're you going with?"

"Nobody," Lily told her. "I, unlike you, don't need someone to take me to Hogsmeade. I am perfectly content going dateless."

"Or," her friend decided. "You're waiting for someone to ask you." Her brown eyes glanced past Kelsey and over to James Potter, who was chatting merrily with Peter Pettigrew.

"That's none of your business," Lily insisted. Her face had indeed flushed red, Kelsey noticed.

Kelsey knew James Potter would love nothing more than being able to have a date with Lily in Hogsmeade. She smiled in Lily's direction and for the first time, the red headed girl actually grinned back.

.X.

The morning of Hogsmeade came quickly and Kelsey hopped out of bed enthusiastically. She took her time to make sure her clothes were perfect, her hair was flawless, and that her skin hadn't developed any recent blemishes.

She even took the time to put a bit of blush on and to apply the smallest drop of perfume behind her ear. Her reflection was surprisingly shocking. She looked much better than she normally did.

"Whoa, what happened to you?" Dorcas asked, putting an earring on as she walked out of the bathroom.

"Just happy today," Kelsey explained, dashing down the stairs. As she reached the Great Hall, she couldn't find Sirius anywhere. She figured she'd see him as soon as they reached the village, so she simply walked along with the group until then.

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I hope I find Sirius soon, Kelsey thought to herself. She was already feeling slightly jealous of the numerous number of groups surrounding her, their merry chatter filling her ears.

She spotted Lily, walking with a group of Ravenclaws in their year. Of course, Lily was a very popular girl. She was well-liked by almost everyone, excluding the Slytherins. A stab of envy hit Kelsey hard in the chest. She wished she could be so well-liked. She had no idea what was wrong with her.

As the envy grew, she frantically tried looking for Sirius. She managed to see James, Remus, and Peter, but Sirius wasn't with them. She watched as James bitterly glanced at Lily from afar. She could feel his pain. She had always noticed how much he had been in awe of Lily. Kelsey knew what it was like to want something so bad, but to never be able to receive it.

Her brown eyes scanned the streets of Hogsmeade, but she couldn't find him. She had been looking forward to spending the day with him and now, those hopes were shattered. He hadn't come. That was the only possible explanation. He was sick. Maybe he had injured himself. The possibilities were rolling through her mind, one by one.

And yet, the real explanation was far more heart wrenching. Just as she had given up hope of not seeing Sirius, she spotted him walking back from a dark alley, a tall, blonde seventh year attached to his hand. The two of them were trying to compose themselves, straightening their clothes and wiping their mouths.

Kelsey felt her eyes sting furiously. She wouldn't let her tears fall; not yet anyways. Sirius probably wouldn't have even talked to her if he hadn't of run right into her. She stumbled back a bit, her eyes obviously hurt.

"Kelsey!" he said cheerfully. "Why're you all dressed up? Big date?"

She paused for a moment, absolutely appalled by his behavior. He sounded drunk to her, his words slurring. He had probably stumbled right into her.

"You could say that," she told him coolly, walking away.

She heard the blonde ask Sirius, "Who was that?"

His reply was simply, "Some broad in my Potions class."

She crossed her arms over her chest and the cold tears poured down her face. She couldn't believe she'd even considered being friends with such a jerk.

She walked all the way back to the school, her eyes still pouring out the tears. Hateful thoughts rummaged through her mind. Yet, she wasn't as mad at Sirius as she was at herself.

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How could you even think someone like Sirius would actually be friends with you?

She was no longer a face in the halls. She was back to being invisible. No one bothered to stop her. No one bothered to ask what was wrong. The crying seventh year girl was merely there for decoration.

She walked back through the castle doors and up to the Gryffindor tower. As soon as she reached her dorm, she slammed herself upon her bed and cried in shame, falling asleep shortly after.

.X.

Kelsey felt someone shaking her awake, but refused to get up. As the shaking only increased, she slowly opened her brown eyes. Dorcas was looking down at her.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked her sister. "What happened?"

Kelsey shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Did Sirius do something to you?" Dorcas demanded angrily.

"I don't want to talk about Sirius ever again," Kelsey insisted.

"Then you don't have to," Dorcas assured her.

.X.

The next evening, Kelsey sat in the common room, Dorcas chatting on next to her. The common room buzzed with chatter, last minute homework being done. She watched as Sirius eyed her from across the room. She refused to catch his eye.

She felt her muscles tighten up as he walked over to her. Dorcas eyed him coldly.

"Can I talk to you for a minute, Kelsey?" he asked her. She could barely look up at him. When she finally mustered up the courage to, she saw his sad, gray eyes looking down at her.

"Kelsey doesn't want to talk to you," Dorcas told him. "She doesn't need hateful people like you in her life."

Kelsey had never been more proud of Dorcas in her life because at that moment, her sister had found all the words that Kelsey wasn't brave enough to say.

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A/N: Short, but eventful. Leave me a review please. Thanks.


	4. Where Is Your Heart?

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Anything But Ordinary

Chapter 4-Where Is Your Heart?

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Part One: Sirius and Dorcas

The news of the Halloween Ball hit Kelsey about a week before the actual dance. She had been sitting at the house table, sipping calmly on a glass of cold iced tea when Professor McGonagall announced it to the table. Almost instantly, girls ran off into clusters, laughing shrilly at the slightest mention of boys. Kelsey couldn't help but become nauseated at them.

Since Dorcas' words in the common room, Kelsey hadn't had to talk to Sirius. He worked in silence, not even asking for the smallest bit of help on their assigned potion. She felt guilty for taking credit for his work, but she then remembered his cold words, 'Some broad in my potions class'.

After thinking about it, she knew she'd made a mistake in assuming. She had assumed they were friends. By assuming that, she also assumed that Sirius would have told her if he had plans with someone else at Hogsmeade. She had been under the inclination that friends spent time with one another during social events. Now that she thought about it, she supposed they were never really friends.

The fact that the only friend she had in the entire world was her sister sometimes bothered her. Yet, she knew Dorcas would do anything and everything for her. That always brought her great comfort as she knew that not many people could say they had a friend like that.

Normally, Kelsey knew that she wouldn't be bothered with going to the Halloween Ball as she didn't know a single person there. Yet, for once, she wanted to do something for herself. She had never really gone to many social outings held by Hogwarts and this was her seventh year.

Later, up in the sixth year girls' dorms, Kelsey sat upon Dorcas' bed, braiding her hair like she used to when they were kids. Dorcas was consumed in reading a trashy romance novel. She claimed she found humor in them, but Kelsey knew that secretly, Dorcas was addicted.

"So," Dorcas said, trailing off into conversation. "What do you think about this dance?"

"I was thinking about going," Kelsey answered, knowing that her sister had not been expecting that answer.

"Really?" Dorcas inquired. "Do you have a date?"

"Nope," she replied, not the least bit embarrassed. "I just want to go. I never have fun and I've always enjoyed Halloween. At least it's not a costume themed dance. Now, I'd have to reconsider if it was."

"I might go," Dorcas said quietly. "If I find a date."

"Like that'll be hard for you," Kelsey said sarcastically.

Dorcas just gave her sister a reassuring smile. Inside, she was contemplating all the horrible things that could happen at the dance. She was afraid for Kelsey and knew that the whole 'Sirius' issue was still tender. She was almost positive every single one of the Marauders would show up, one of the pathetic, mindless fan girls handing off each one of their arm's.

She knew that something had to be done.

The following night, she left her sister in the common room studying and ventured out into the halls. Dorcas knew exactly who she was looking for and where they would most likely be. She had eavesdropped on James and Peter talking back in the Gryffindor Tower.

As she took each step, her confidence built. She had to be strong for her sister.

Her brown eyes lit up as she found her destination. Just as she had heard, Sirius was leaning up against a third floor broom closet, a tall blonde girl intertwining her fingers with his. Dorcas coughed loudly and caught the attention of both of them.

"Can I talk to you for a moment, Black?" she asked him. The blonde girl blushed and walked down the steps and back to her designated common room.

"What do you want, Dorcas?" he asked her, slightly perturbed.

"As much as it must pain you to be detached from your 'friend', I wanted to talk to you about the dance," she explained, her voice emitting irritation.

"Sorry, love," he told her sadly. "You're just not my type. A bit too feisty if you ask me."

"Don't make me hurl," Dorcas said angrily. "What I wanted to talk to you about is Kelsey." His eyes lit up at the mention of her name. "On her behalf, I was coming to ask you a favor." She paused for a minute, not knowing how to ask him. "I was wondering if you'd skip the dance."

"What?" he asked her. "You expect me to just skip the dance because you ask me to? I won't do it, Meadowes."

"Kelsey is going to the first social event of her life," Dorcas explained. "She has never really put herself out there for the school to see. She's never loosed up and had fun. Yet, for some reason, she wants to go to this dance. I'm just concerned that with your presence, there would be no way of her having fun, considering how enjoyable you made Hogsmeade."

Sirius considered his options. He was free to go, seeing as it was his choice and not Dorcas'. Yet, something inside of him became reluctant.

"Alright," he said in a strangely mature manner. "You can consider me officially absent from this dance."

Dorcas was pretty shocked that he had given in so easily. She wondered if there were ulterior motives behind his decision. By his genuinely sad expression, she guessed there wasn't.

"Thank you," she said quietly before turning on her heel and returning to the common room, leaving Sirius to think back on all those times he had tortured Kelsey.

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Part Two: The Dance

The week went by in a blur. Kelsey grew more anxious by the day as the dance approached. She hoped that by attending this dance, she would be able to make at least one friend. She wanted her years at Hogwarts to be memorable and be able to tell her kids about the fun times she had while attending.

The day of the dance, Dorcas took it upon herself to fix Kelsey up. According to her, she was a blank canvas just waiting to be painted on. Kelsey grew a bit hesitant at these words, considering she didn't like the sound of being painted on.

Apparently, Dorcas knew what she was doing. Instead of preparing herself for the dance, she devoted her time and effort on Kelsey. She took her soft curls and bundled them into an elegant up do that showed off Kelsey's excellent bone structure. She applied only the lightest bit of pink rouge to her cheeks and dabbed on a slightly darker shade of pink onto her sister's lips. Dorcas even let her sister wear the infamous earrings their mother had passed down to them. They hung beautifully from Kelsey's delicate ears. She nervously touched them as Dorcas searched through their closet for the perfect dress for Kelsey.

After what felt like hours of waiting, Dorcas stepped out of the closet, a triumphant smile adorning her pleasant face. A strapless off-white wrap dress with a small black flower in the middle. It was simple and it was perfect. Kelsey smiled as she stepped into the material. It felt cold against her legs, which gave her the pre-dance jitters.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, she found that her sister had already managed to apply her makeup, fix her hair, and step into a blue dress, clutching a slightly darker blue purse. According to her, Dorcas could have worn a garbage bag and her date wouldn't have noticed. She hadn't gone for bright, but rather for accessible. She had waited until last minute and had found herself stuck with Kirk Whibley, one of the dullest boys in the sixth year.

The three of them, Dorcas, Kelsey, and Kirk, stepped out of the Gryffindor common room and made way towards the Great Hall, Dorcas and Kelsey having all the conversation while Kirk stared at every single one of the sequins on Dorcas' dress.

As they entered the hall, their eyes grew wide in amazement. The house banners had been replaced with satin hangings of orange and black. Small jack-o-lanterns hung from the ceiling, lighting the room with a fluorescent orange glow. The band was unfamiliar to Kelsey, but was playing catchy tunes whilst everyone danced. She spotted the refreshments and noticed that Peter Pettigrew was chomping away at a rather large pumpkin pastry. She figured that since Peter was there, Sirius was as well. Yet, that night wasn't about Sirius. It was about her.

"Let's go dance," Dorcas said excitedly, dragging her sister onto the floor. Kirk strolled slowly behind them.

Kelsey was hesitant about dancing at first, but found that it became more fun the more she loosened up. She began swaying in rhythm with the beat and tossed her hands merrily above her head. She began laughing, hearing Dorcas laugh along with her. Before long, an arm snaked it's way around her waist. She looked over to see that the arm belonged to Amos Diggory. She blushed, but went along with it anyways. Surprisingly, Amos danced with her for another hour.

"Do you want to step outside for a breath of fresh air?" he asked her kindly as they danced close.

She nodded her head and felt his hand slip into hers as he led her out. She waved to Dorcas, who was no longer dancing with Kirk, but with another random sixth year boy.

She felt the cool air hit her face as the two of them protruded into the halls. She smiled over at him and he ran a hand through his hair nervously.

Her brown eyes grew wide as Amos walked closer towards her, his lips eventually parallel with hers. He seemed to breathe out, "I only came out here as an excuse to get you alone with me."

No one had ever said anything like that to her before. She felt her face heat up as his lips drew nearer to hers.

__

Part Three: Suffocation

Sirius knew he had promised Dorcas not to attend the dance, but he found himself walking casually over to the Great Hall anyways. He technically wasn't breaking his promise if he didn't actually go inside of the hall, but peer in. He wanted to make sure Kelsey was having a good time, as well as check on James' progress with Lily.

As he turned the corner, he heard voices. He paused, not wanting to interrupt anything too intimate.

"That's enough, Amos," a girl said, her voice strangely familiar.

"You weren't objecting a minute ago," a guy answered in a husky tone.

"I said that's enough," she repeated, her voice losing confidence by the second.

"Come on," the guy protested. "Don't be a prude."

Sirius rounded about the corner, matching the name with the voice. It had sounded like Kelsey's voice and sure enough, he found Kelsey smothered against a wall by Amos Diggory. Her cheeks were stained with fresh tears and her mouth was swollen.

Sirius pulled Amos off of her, resisting the urge to hit him. "You heard her. She said that's enough."

"I see how it is, Black," Amos said bitterly, adjusting the part of his collar that Sirius had grabbed a hold of. "Playing the hypocrite today."

"I don't force myself on girls," Sirius said coldly. "Unlike you, you piece of scum. Get out of here."

Amos cursed and headed towards the door. Before he entered, he turned and faced Kelsey and Sirius once more. "I never knew you to fancy prude bitches, Black." Before Sirius could do anything, he entered the Great Hall. Sirius turned around as he heard whimpering behind him. Kelsey had shriveled onto the floor, her dress falling behind her.

"I just wanted to meet new people," she told him as he sat down beside her. "I only wanted friends."

"I know you did," he told her softly. Something about her made him protective. He wasn't exactly sure what, but it scared him a bit. The two of them sat in silence as her tears continued to flow. "What Diggory said wasn't true," he told her. "You're not a bitch. Don't let that prat make you think otherwise."

Before she could even think about it, Kelsey leaned over and hugged her body into Sirius', her face snuggled close into his shoulder. And there they sat, spending the Halloween dance, him comforting her as she cried away her tears.

****

A/N: I don't really know if I like that chapter. Let me know.


	5. Far Away

**Anything But Ordinary**

**Chapter 5-Far Away**

If one were to judge Sirius and Kelsey's relationship after the dance, one would assume there would be some sort of progression. Yet, things became even more silent, even more still, and even more complicated. Sirius hadn't uttered one word to her after she cried her eyes into his shoulder all night.

He had promised Dorcas to leave Kelsey alone and he intended to. At least for a little while. The reasoning behind his silence was far bigger than some agreement with her sister.

Every potions class, Kelsey and Sirius would work, only speaking to exchange ingredients. Professor Slughorn would pass by them, his eyes surveying their progress. He never did say anything to them. His glances were neither filled with good or bad judgment. Yet, he seemed to be comprehending the potion, as well as the makers behind it.

Kelsey would always steal glances at Lily Evans and James Potter as she worked on the potion assigned. It seemed to her that James Potter had finally given up on her. He chatted on politely with Amos Diggory, reluctantly, whilst Lily continued to astound the professor with her natural abilities in potion making. Kelsey did notice that something seemed to be wrong with the red head. Perhaps she missed James' inquiries, his witty flirtation, his never-ending persistence. Yet, she never asked.

Still friendless, Kelsey carried on through the hallways alone. Only her thoughts kept her company. Dorcas was usually surrounded by a group of students in her year, but she did try and make time for her sister. Kelsey still hadn't told her what had happened at the dance. Only Amos Diggory and Sirius Black knew. That was how Kelsey intended upon keeping it. She didn't need Dorcas stirring up anymore trouble. _She _was the older sister. _She _should be the brave one. Life always had a funny way of keeping things interesting.

"You've been acting extremely out of character, Prongs," Peter told his friend one day as the four boys slipped into their dorms. The air outside was cold and winter was on the verge.

"I know," Sirius sighed. "When was the last time you even asked Miss Lily to go out with you?"

"Can't tell you," James said, rubbing a hand through his messy hair. "I honestly don't remember."

Remus seemed to be smirking in the corner, an all-knowing look on his face. "Playing hard to get, are you, Prongs?" he asked his friend.

"I suppose so," James mumbled irritably. "Nothing else is working. Maybe if I just leave her alone, she'll come to me."

"Women," Sirius groaned, falling back onto his bed gracefully. "Can't live with them. Certainly can't live without them."

"Speaking of," Peter commented. "When was the last time Sirius snuck in after curfew?"

James and Remus looked curiously over at their friend for explanation. Sirius merely shrugged.

"I just haven't been in the mood for flings," he told his friends.

"Why is everything so different this year?" Peter asked his friends. "I mean, Prongs is giving up on Evans and now Sirius is giving up on flings. Moony, please tell me you don't intend on giving up on the Shrieking Shack."

"Trust me, Peter," Remus said, grinning casually. "If I were to do that, we'd all have bigger problems than women."

"Anyone want to go to the kitchens?" Peter asked after a few moments of silence. "I'm getting hungry."

"Bottomless pit," Sirius barked out, laughing at his own humor.

Remus stood and walked over to Peter. "I'll go with you, Wormtail. We'll leave these two to feel sorry for themselves."

Sirius threw a show at their heads as they walked out. Lately, nothing had felt right. Pranking, snogging, trouble. It'd all felt pointless.

He looked over at his friend, whose hazel eyes were staring blankly up at the ceiling, as if immersed in deep thought.

"Prongs, what's this thing about Evans really about?" Sirius asked. "You mad at her?"

James rolled over onto his stomach and groaned into his pillow. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

"You haven't given up on her, have you?" Sirius asked, almost worried about his friend. "I mean, what would the year be without your endless pursuits?"

"Less annoying?" James tried. He saw that Sirius wasn't going to give up and he lifted his head from the pillow and decided to speak. "I'm just sick of this. I mean, I ask her out, she rejects me, she's the one who holds the power. I honestly want to know how she'd feel without my constant badgering. It's the only way to know whether I've wasted my time all these years."

"I wish there was something I could tell you," Sirius replied. "But sadly, you've gone farther with Evans than I ever have with a girl."

James looked over curiously at his best friend. "What do you mean?"

"You've shown her you care," he told his friend. "I've never let a girl see that side of me. It's vulnerable, personal, and well, private. I don't think I've allowed myself to open up to someone like you have. In a way, Evans and I are the same person. She doesn't want to open up to you because she's scared; not because she doesn't like you."

James nodded his head in understanding. He had never heard Sirius speak so maturely about anything before. "Something bothering you, Padfoot?" he asked in confusion.

"You could say that," Sirius replied. "I've just been really confused lately."

"Aren't we all?" James asked, directing it as more of a statement than a question. And it was true; they were all confused in one way or another.

Even though Kelsey knew that the Astronomy Tower had been her and Sirius' spot to sit and chat, she never stopped going there. Even though the two of them couldn't be considered friends anymore, that spot was monumental to her. It served as a constant reminder as to who she wanted to be. She wanted to be social, she wanted to be brave, and she wanted to be free. The stars were inspiring to her and she refused to give up that one small pleasure.

The breeze from the open window hit her legs fiercely, sending goose bumps to cascade upon them. She had stepped out of the dorm in her nightgown, forgetting shoes or a dressing robe. She had felt impulsive and the Astronomy Tower was empty at such times anyways.

She sat there for hours, merely thinking and enjoying the view. It was spectacular. She could see every inch of the Hogwarts grounds from where she was sitting, the lake rippling gently in the moonlight.

She didn't even bother turning her head when she heard footsteps. If it was a Prefect or teacher, she'd surely receive detention. The beauty engrossed her and she refused to look away. Only when she heard that voice, his voice, did she bother even blinking.

"Kelsey," he said in a near whisper. It was full of guilt and need. Sirius Black had come to find her and yet, something felt different. It wasn't a shock or surprise. It felt planned and _right_. It was as if she'd be subconsciously waiting for him.

He walked towards her, although not daring to sit down in his former spot. He knew why he'd come to find her and he knew what he wanted to say, but the trouble was, it was completely new to him.

She turned to look at him, her brown eyes big and full of fear. No matter how much she tried, she could never be brave. It wasn't in her nature. She was constantly scared. As scared as she was of what he'd say to her, she was comfortable and at ease.

"These past few weeks," he started, still unsure of how to say it. "I've been fighting this. I've been fighting our friendship. I've been fighting our trust. And well, I've been fighting you."

She nodded, unsure of how to respond to that.

"It's not because I don't like you," he assured her. "Trust me, it's not. It's just that, after the dance, I got scared. I mean, I'd never been more protective of someone in my life. At that moment, Amos Diggory was trying to hurt you and I couldn't have that. I was jealous and angry and I didn't act the way I should have. I acted as a boyfriend, opposed to a friend. I don't get jealous. I don't get protective. It just doesn't happen. Do you know what I mean?"

She could understand. His behavior had indeed surprised her, but he was exactly who she had needed that night.

"Yes," she replied quietly. "I know what you mean."

"Well, this got me thinking. _Why was I acting like that? What did it all mean?_ And I've never been more confused in my life. I'm not supposed to care about you like I do. I'm Sirius Black. I don't allow myself to get hurt. I don't allow myself to get attached. Yet, that night, I threw it all away. And since then, I've been fighting everything I've been feeling," he told her, his voice shaky and different. He wasn't being suave, smooth, or charming. He was being real. She had never seen this side of him before and she preferred it. He was being honest, something she hadn't thought possible.

"And what is it you've been feeling?" she asked him unsurely.

"I've been feeling that I don't ever want to see you cry again," he told her quietly.

His answer surprised her. She had been expecting something along the lines of 'Kelsey, I don't want to be your Potions partner anymore'. Certainly not something that profound.

And as he approached her, she knew things were going to be different between them. She couldn't deny it any longer either.

As she received her first kiss, she knew things were as they should be.

**A/N: Hm, sorry for the wait. It's been hectic. Hope you enjoyed it. I know things are going a bit fast, but drama is in store. Please review.**


	6. Take Me Away

**Anything But Ordinary**

**Chapter 6-Take Me Away**

At first, Kelsey and Sirius' relationship was kept quiet and almost seemed non-existent. He would act polite and friendly around her, yet not affectionate in the least nor chivalric. It was as if they were merely acquaintances. The only time the two of them spent quality time together was when they were alone in the Astronomy Tower.

Kelsey had first thought that maybe Sirius just wasn't comfortable with public displays of affection, yet she recalled the nameless blonde he had been snogging at the beginning of the year. Obviously, that was not the issue at hand.

Then, as the typical couple behavior continued to be absent in their relationship, she began thinking that maybe it was _her. _Maybe she was the reason they kept things quiet. Their reputations were two different matters of discussion. Sirius was charming, personable, and most of all, popular. Kelsey, however, was distant, shy, and basically faceless to the students of Hogwarts.

So, as his extremely reclusive behavior continued, Kelsey became more and more self-conscious. She tried her best to maybe stand out. She spent more time on her hair in the morning and began applying make-up to her face, hoping that maybe if she looked prettier, Sirius wouldn't be ashamed.

Dorcas seemed somewhat curious, but only assumed that Kelsey was taking better care of her appearance due to her recent acquirement of a boyfriend. As far as Kelsey knew, Dorcas was probably the only person besides Sirius and herself who even knew of the relationship.

One month of privacy. One month of intimacy. Kelsey had been with Sirius Black for one month. Although it had been romantic and personal, she longed for strength. She wanted him to be proud of her. She wanted him to be the kind of man that would scream her name from a mountaintop to profess his undying love for her. She was all about cliché, all about romance, and all about pride. She wanted more from their relationship. It was her first and she had always envisioned things much differently.

With Sirius, she had seen the opportunity for thrill, for chaos, for spontaneity, for laughter, and most of all, for fun. She wanted to be the girl in the hallway to which all the girls stared enviously, their hearts yearning for Sirius Black to be theirs. Yet, he would simply laugh it off and kiss her swiftly on the lips, basically telling them he was taken. She wanted that recognition. She wanted that glory. With Sirius, she wanted to live. She wanted to escape from her quiet nest of solitude.

She wanted more.

.X.

As the crescent moon reflected soft, sweet light upon the lake, Kelsey sat, her brown eyes intently fixated upon the natural beauty to which Hogwarts endowed. As Sirius strung his hand through hers gently, caressing her fingers ever so slowly, his gray eyes never leaving her small knuckles, he grinned. It was a silly, foolish grin, one that normally didn't venture onto Sirius Black's face. He looked almost lovesick, something out of the ordinary, even for someone as unique as him.

"Do you ever wonder why exactly things happen?" Kelsey mused aloud, her thoughts creeping towards her lips and escaping for Sirius' hearing. He was used to her random, unexplained questions. He was right in assuming that there was almost always deep thought behind such questions.

Still gazing upon her frail hands, he nodded. "Fate," he told her. "I hold a strong belief in fate."

Examining the slow ripples tiding from the lake to the shore, Kelsey thought once more about this so-called fate. Was that what had brought Sirius and her together? Ordinarily, it would have seemed impossible for a nobody like Kelsey Meadowes to become involved with Sirius Black. It just wasn't likely in the least.

"Sirius," Kelsey started, her voice tired and worn from the so many thoughts racing through her mind on a rampage. She was so confused, so frustrated, and extremely conscious of her status at the school. "Are you ashamed to be seen with me?"

Sirius dropped her hand almost instantly and looked up at her. The entire commitment arrangement was new to him as well and he obviously wasn't wholly used to such deep conversations with girls.

"What makes you wonder that, love?" he inquired, his stormy gray eyes puzzled. He began to wonder if he had done something wrong. He never really new anymore. With Kelsey, he was on a ledge almost all the time. She was different, which he liked, but also wasn't used to.

"It's just that, well, I feel guilty hiding from everyone. Do your friends even know about us? Are you embarrassed about what we have?" she asked, her voice rushing words and her face flushed red in wonder.

Perhaps he had sent her the wrong signal. He had only wanted to protect her from the cruel world he endured almost daily. The students at Hogwarts were not nice; they were exactly the opposite. They could be cruel and critical of almost anyone joining the ranks of the elite. James, Remus, and Peter were the exception, but Sirius had wanted to hide her from even them. His past reputation as a womanizer was bound to be brought up and he didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

The entire popularity concept could quite possibly tarnish the wholesome, genuine girl he had grown extremely fond of over the past couple months. He wanted Kelsey to remain herself, to remain a free spirit. He had only been trying to protect her.

"I mean, finally something good happens to me and I have to keep it a secret," she said, her voice cracking slightly. She had been holding in the emotions for the past month. Despite all the good, the bad had been building up. She felt slippery tears stream down her cheeks.

"Hush," he said quietly, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead. "If I was embarrassed of anyone, it would be myself. I haven't always been the greatest guy, you can account for that yourself. I just don't know if I'm ready to let you into the world I've become accustomed with. I like you just the way that you are and the people at this school will do anything in their power to change that."

She stared at him oddly, her sobbing momentarily ceasing as she listened to what he was saying.

"Girls at this school are savage," he insisted. "They're jealous, spiteful, and vindictive. I just wanted to protect you from them. I will never be ashamed of you, Kels. You should know that."

"I want to be part of your world," she told him. "We're in this together."

He looked down at her, her eyes desperately pleading for a chance to get to know the other side Sirius held within.

Reluctantly, he sighed and muttered, "There's a party tomorrow night. I can introduce you then."

Kelsey smiled and kissed Sirius, knowing now that the empty hole she had felt was now going to be filled. She was going to make friends.

.X.

"Kels, are you sure you're ready for that?" Dorcas asked as she brushed her teeth in the bathroom. The sixth year girls' dorm was empty that night as the annual gobstone's tournament was taking place.

Kelsey had gone to her sister's dorm to share the news. As she sat on Dorcas' bed, her brown hair sprawled out around her face, she smiled lightly, staring at the ceiling of the dorm happily.

"Of course I am," she insisted. "I've always wondered about Sirius Black's world, even though I rarely acknowledged good in him. I mean, I've always envied the popular life. I've never had that, Dorcas. This is a chance for me to actually become someone at this school."

"Does it really matter?" Dorcas asked, now washing her face in the white sink. "I mean, it's not really that great."

"That's easy for you to say," Kelsey muttered. "You've always been popular."

"I'm just saying that it's not as splendid as you're making it out to be," she told her sister, her matching brown eyes watching Kelsey seriously. "I mean, there are perks, but I've seen what can happen. If Sirius is exposing you to the wrong types of people, you could end up in more trouble than you could possibly ever want."

"You and Sirius hang around with a lot of the same crowd," Kelsey pointed out. "And why is everyone protecting me? I'm not a little girl, Dorcas. I'm your _older _sister. Don't you want to see me happy?"

Kelsey stood up melodramatically from her sister's bed and walked towards the exit of the dorm. "Are you worried that you won't always be the popular sister? That you might not always overshadow me? Because if that's what you're worried about, I'd have to say I really don't know you anymore."

Dorcas rolled her eyes as she settled into her bed, hearing her sister's thunderous footsteps stomp up the stairs in aggravation.

_If she really wants to know, she'll have to find out for herself_, Dorcas thought to herself bitterly before closing her eyes to fall asleep. _The grass isn't much greener on the other side._

**A/N: Just basically setting up for the next chapter. Not too short. Hope you liked it. Kelsey is undergoing some change right now if you haven't noticed. Please review with thoughts.**


	7. Beautiful

**Anything But Ordinary**

**Chapter 7-Beautiful**

According to Mary, a familiar blonde that Kelsey recognized as Sirius' former play toy, the staff had no idea of the parties held over the weekend. The students were extremely discreet, using the Room of Requirement as a location. Apparently, the Marauders had discovered the 'Come and Go' room the previous year and it had served it's purpose ever since.

Kelsey was fed all of this information extremely fast as she was entering the room. Sirius walked behind the two girls, talking with James, Peter, and Remus, a bottle of fire whiskey in his hand.

"Oh, Kelsey, I hope there are no hard feelings about Sirius," Mary told her, just as they walked through the door. Kelsey set her cloak down and smiled apprehensively.

"No, of course not," she assured the girl, her brown eyes wide in amazement. The entire seventh year class, as well as many sixth and fifth years, seemed to be occupying the extremely spacious room. The air was filled with smoke and music throbbed from her ears to her temple.

She felt a hand snake around her waist and lips press into her neck. She grinned and felt Sirius press his face into her hair.

"You sure you want to go through with this?" he asked her, his gray eyes closed, as if they hadn't even arrived.

"Of course I do, silly," she told him. "Now, introduce me to your friends."

Sirius nodded, leading her over carefully to where his fellow Marauders and the rest of their crowd settled. James was leaning back carefully, his messy hair falling into his eyes. Something about his smirk seemed to send out a message. She hoped to know why exactly James was so happy.

Remus and Peter seemed far more reserved, drinking slowly from half empty bottles.

"Marauders, meet Meadowes," Sirius told them smugly. "Kels, meet James, Peter, and Remus."

"So, you're the bird that's got Padfoot's heart in a twist," James teased, standing to shake her hand. "Nice to officially meet you, Kelsey dearest."

"Yes, whatever Sirius has told you about us is all lies," Remus insisted, his worn blue eyes full of laughter, despite his frail predicament.

"Honestly," Peter agreed, taking a chug of his drink and holding out a pudgy hand.

"Well, you've met Mary…," Sirius muttered under his breath, looking at the heads seated in the secluded area. "So, that leaves Diggory, Davies, Martha, Fiona, Frank, Jena, and of course, _Lily_."

Kelsey's head perked up at the mention of Lily's name. She turned to see the dainty redhead sliding onto James' lap and taking a swig from his drink.

"I know Kelsey," Lily assured Sirius. "We're in the same dorm, remember?"

She rolled her eyes and laughed, seemingly carefree and laid back. If Kelsey looked confused, no one caught on. The Marauders seemed entirely at ease with James and Lily, as if they were somehow used to it.

As the boys started playing a drinking game, Lily stood up, kissing James on the cheek and jumping abruptly off of his lap.

"If you boys are just going to sit here and get wasted, we're going to go and freshen up," she said, signaling for the girls in the room to follow. Sirius nudged Kelsey affectionately, knowing she just needed a little confidence.

"You coming, Kelsey?" Jena asked as Mary slipped her arm around Kelsey's, leading her off into the bathroom.

As Sirius watched Kelsey follow the girls, he shook his head uneasily. He knew about some of the girls in his crowd and well, they weren't pixies. They could be vicious and cruel, both of which Kelsey wasn't used to nor did she deserve.

"Padfoot, don't worry," James assured his friend. "They're just girls. Plus, Lily'll take care of her."

"If you say so," Sirius muttered, shaking his head and pulling out a deck of cards. He no longer had any desire to drink. He no longer had any desire to shame himself or Kelsey. He had a girlfriend now, a girl he actually cared for, and the least he could do was respect her. And that he did.

.X.

Inside of the bathroom, Kelsey crossed her arms nervously around her chest, observing the others. There were the girls she had come in with and then, there were the girls that had been staring daggers at her from across the room. Even now she felt their glares upon her; Mary being one of them.

As the blonde Hufflepuff applied more lip gloss to her lips, her blue eyes averted to Kelsey, who was still standing awkwardly near the entrance.

"Must be tough being Sirius' new side dish," Mary commented dryly, her tone no longer bubbly and excited. Something had obviously changed the moment they had stepped inside of the bathroom. "I mean, so much competition. Not much reassurance. Sirius isn't really the commitment type, is he?"

"You tell me," Kelsey responded lamely. She brushed a stray stand of straight brown hair behind her ear. She had done all she could to look her best that night. She had performed a charm that would temporarily take the waves from her hair, leaving it straight and sleek. Her makeup had been applied modestly and looked appropriate. She had even spritzed a small dab of perfume behind her ear, a lavender scent trailing behind her with each step she took.

Mary wasn't the only girl sizing her up, yet she seemed to be the only one willing to confront Kelsey.

"Of course he isn't," Mary insisted, grabbing her purse and walking slowly towards Kelsey. "You don't honestly think he's going to stay with _you_ when he could have anyone he wants. You're just the flavor of the week, the test drive, whatever you wish to call yourself."

"I was under the impression that I was his girlfriend," she told Mary, trying to sound as cool as possible. She felt Lily's emerald eyes bare onto her as the redhead washed her hands at the sink silently.

"Well, of course you are. Right now, that is," Mary told her. "But, don't even think for a minute that we'll all forget about you then. You have the chance to become one of us, regardless of whether Sirius decides to keep you around or not. You do want that, don't you?"

_More than anything…_

Mary seemed to read her mind and nodded, her toothy smile gleaming. "So, it's settled. Come along with us and we'll show you where the real party is."

Helplessly, Kelsey allowed Mary and three other girls to drag her out of the room. Uncertain of what exactly she was supposed to do, Lily walked back to the Marauders, Jena by her side. Something told her Sirius deserved to know where Kelsey was.

.X.

Kelsey felt herself being shaken up, her ears filled with loud shouting and equally loud music. She couldn't bare to open her eyes, knowing the light would most likely momentarily blind her. She could hear the voices, could feel the touch of someone's arm on hers, but she couldn't find the will to wake up.

Her head was throbbing and she couldn't remember a thing. All she wanted to do was sleep. She _needed _to sleep. And so she did.

.X.

"Kels!" Dorcas shouted, having seen a few girls drag Kelsey outside and into the hall. The girls hadn't left, only watched, snickering a bit in the distance. Dorcas looked up at them, her fierce brown eyes furious and distraught.

"Who the hell do you think you are, Mary?" she asked the blonde, not bearing to step away from her sister, who was still breathing. "What did you do to her?"

"_We _didn't do a thing," the girl insisted, her voice filled with cruel laughter. "I mean, _we _didn't force her to drink three bottles of fire whiskey."

"Do you think this is a joke?" Dorcas inquired. "Because, really, it's not too funny if you ask me. You knew she'd never been to a party like this. You knew she'd never drank fire whiskey in her life. And yet, you still let her drink three bottles?"

"Sorry, Dorcas, but do any of us even look like her mother? Or should I say your mother?" Mary asked, her blue eyes sinister and cold.

"Why don't you go back to the party?" Dorcas asked coldly, hearing the door open and several pairs of footsteps following. She turned to see Sirius, James, Lily, Remus, and Peter exiting, all gazing down at Kelsey.

"What's wrong with her?" Sirius asked immediately, crouching down to hold Kelsey's head in his lap.

Dorcas couldn't even believe he'd asked such a question. "You," she said, her voice low and assertive. "You don't deserve her. You don't deserve her at all."

And with those parting words, Dorcas Meadowes, one of the tiniest sixth years in the school, slapped Sirius Black, leaving a red handprint across his normally perfect cheek. With tears in her eyes, she left her sister with Sirius, which was even worst than an 'I told you so'.


	8. I'm With You

**Anything But Ordinary**

**Chapter 8-I'm With You**

When Kelsey awoke, she felt a cold washcloth seeping slow drops of water down her face. It was slowly helping to ease the pain that had developed overnight in the temple of her forehead. She couldn't bare to open her eyes, knowing the light would be blinding. Rubbing her eyes restlessly, she managed to squint, thus allowing her to see who was sitting beside her.

Both Sirius and Dorcas, who were sending outraged glares at one another, sat in a chair beside her bed. How Sirius had managed to get in the dorm was beyond her, but she knew he could probably accomplish nearly anything if he set his mind to it. Surprisingly, Lily Evans also sat, attempting to not make the situation any more awkward by pretending not to notice Sirius and Dorcas' displeasure in one another.

Sirius was the first to notice her awakening and took to squeezing her hand in a comforting manner. She grinned, still unsure of why everyone was looking at her as if she'd died.

"Morning, sunshine," he greeted. "Had a rough night, didn't you?"

"No thanks to you, Black," Dorcas mumbled under her breath.

"Not now, Meadowes," Sirius snapped harshly. "You've already had your say. Why don't you run along and grab Kelsey something to eat?"

"I'm her sister and she needs me," Dorcas said proudly, her brown eyes full of irritation.

Lily, who had been sitting quietly, flinching at the chaos occurring, spoke up, "How about I go and get Kelsey some toast and pumpkin juice while you three sort out whatever issue you have." As she ran to get up and head to the Great Hall, she said, "I hope you feel better, Kelsey."

Kelsey offered a sheepish smile as Lily departed, still unsure as to what had happened the previous night.

"What's going on?" Kelsey demanded warily. She sat up and tucked a strand of her now curly brown hair.

"Well, apparently, under Sirius' watch, you ran off with three of the most loathsome girls in the entire school and got yourself piss drunk," Dorcas told her. "And well, they let you collapse somewhere in the middle of the party and began laughing their arses off."

The three girls did sound familiar, but Kelsey was having a hard time understanding exactly why this was Sirius' fault. He hadn't wanted her to go with them.

"Sirius, you knew not to take her to that party!" her sister cried, in a protective, almost unstable tone. "She's not like everyone else. She's not used to our world."

Something inside of Kelsey cracked. She was astonished. Since when was Dorcas one to look down upon her? Why was her sister belittling her?

"She wanted to go!" Sirius said, standing up defensively.

"And you let her," Dorcas said stiffly. "Knowing what kind of people attend them. You let her go and get smashed. Anyone could have taken advantage of her! Anyone. Did you even think about that?"

Before Sirius could respond, Kelsey's voice intervened. "Sirius, if possible, could you leave me and my sister alone for a moment? We have some things to discuss."

Sirius nodded, happy to leave. Dorcas was fuming and well, he really wasn't eager to be on the receiving end of her temper. Leaning in to kiss her goodbye, Sirius whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry."

Kelsey desperately wanted to cry, "It's not your fault," but knew better than to before she had her say with her sister.

"You really do need to get rid of him, Kels," Dorcas told her sister uneasily. "He's not right for you. There's just something so reckless about him that's unhealthy for anyone."

"Dorcas, don't talk about things you don't understand," Kelsey advised her sister in a cold, assertive voice so unlike her normally shy, less domineering tone. "Sirius has been nothing but good to me. You will use any excuse to doubt him. Last night, I begged him to go to that party. I thought he was ashamed of me. But no, he was ashamed of _your _crowd. And honestly, I still don't see what went so wrong. I got drunk. So what? If I had to count the number of time's I've seen you singing into that pearly white basin, I'd be sitting here all day. Why is it ok for you to be popular, but when I actually am offered the chance, I shouldn't be allowed to receive it?"

Dorcas was stunned. She'd never even heard Kelsey string so many words together before, let alone stand up for herself.

"I think it's best if you stay out of my business from now on, Dorcas," Kelsey told her sister. "Because, honestly, it's entirely hypocritical of you."

Kelsey half expected her sister to argue her way out, but shockingly, Dorcas left quietly, small tears forming in her brown eyes. The two sisters who normally looked out for one another had split. They had broken paths. They had come undone. They were no longer unified. And Kelsey sincerely hoped she had chosen for the best.

.X.

The next morning, Kelsey made her way down the halls to the Great Hall alone. As she entered, she didn't spot Sirius, but suspected he was still asleep. The two of them had spent a good part of the night talking in the Astronomy Tower.

To her surprise, as soon as she entered, none other than Mary, the blonde Hufflepuff, rushed over to her.

"Oh, Kelsey, I really am sorry about the other night," she said quietly, locking arms with Kelsey as they walked towards the Gryffindor table. "I was blitzed out of my mind and well, you know how alcohol brings out the worst in everyone."

Kelsey smiled, fully aware of Dorcas' disapproving eyes on her. "That's alright," she told Mary. "It wasn't that big of a deal. My sister merely overreacted. You know, Dorcas. Full of piss and vinegar."

Mary laughed nodding. She obviously agreed. "Well, I just wanted to let you know that us girls are having a girls night out tonight. Same place, but no boys. Just wanted to make sure you'd come."

"Of course," Kelsey assured her. "I'd love to."

"Excellent," Mary said, heading over to her own house table. "You won't regret it. Eight o'clock sharp."

"I'll be there," Kelsey told her, smiling. Her dreams really were coming true. Dorcas was wrong to believe she didn't belong. She was just an ordinary girl.

.X.

As Kelsey paced the outside of the Room of Requirement, the door showed no signs of opening. Nervously, she glanced at her watch, having stood there for over an hour.

She tugged on her pink dress furiously, unsure of whether she'd come to the right place. Was she desiring the right destination?

She spotted Sirius, walking towards her from a distance, his face not only saddened, but a bit angry.

"Kels, they're not coming," he told her. "I just saw them over by the kitchens laughing."

She nodded, as if knowing the whole time that this was going to happen. And so, she allowed Sirius to carry her back to the Common Room, crying into his shoulder the entire time.

.X.

"Mary!" a voice barked from the shadows as the blonde Hufflepuff attempted to enter her common room. She turned, her face still full of laughter. Yet, as she saw who had called her name, she grimaced.

"Sirius," she said cynically. "What can I do for you?"

"You can let it go," he told her angrily. His gray eyes were full of danger and frustration, sending chills up Mary's spine.

He wanted to hurt her, hurt her for every causing Kelsey pain. Hurt her for causing a rift between Kelsey and Dorcas. Hurt her for being immature and petty.

"Let what go, love?" she asked him, her voice full of seduction. She grinned flirtatiously and let her hand drift across his face slowly.

"Just because you're a bitter bitch doesn't mean you have to hurt Kelsey," he told her, throwing her hand off of him. "If I ever catch you doing being anything but nice to my girlfriend again, well, let's just say I'll be breaking more than your reputation."

He hated being angry. He hated being cruel. Yet, he had to resort to such measures in order to protect her. So, as he left Mary, eyeing him curiously as he stormed off, he knew that something about Kelsey made him different. Something about her made him snap. He was protective, aching, longing, and harsh. He was changing. He was becoming someone else. And all because of a girl.

**A/N: Hope you liked it. Please review.**


	9. Over

**Anything But Ordinary**

**Chapter 9-Over**

The following week, Kelsey clung constantly to Sirius. He was all she truly had anymore. She had desperately wanted to be popular, to have meaning in her remaining year at Hogwarts. She wanted to be someone, someone who was either respected or looked up to. She wanted that superior title. But now, she knew she could never have it.

Mary hadn't spoken a word to Kelsey the following morning. She hadn't muttered an apology of any sorts, nor had she offered any sort of explanation. She had merely walked past, as if seeing nothing at all.

When Kelsey voiced her hopes and dreams to Sirius, he looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. A glint in his eyes told her that something had changed, something had gone wrong somehow. Something was unsettled and there was something he was holding back. Kelsey just wished for him to spit it out, release it, so the two of them could work past it.

Apart from her aspirations, he was her everything. He was all she thought about, all she cared about, and her one single devotion. He was her one value, the beat in her heart. She grew lovesick and restless at night, desperately missing his arms around her. Despite his reclusive manner as of late, Kelsey managed to remain as hopeful as ever before. She was becoming more and more optimistic, opening up to several people in the common room. She was becoming sociable, despite Mary's best efforts against her.

She still hadn't managed to acquire any friends, but Lily Evans made a point of offering a hello any chance she could. Lily and James were still being secretive about their relationship, which bemused Kelsey. She was dying to just scream her feelings to the world. She was under the impression that love was something to be proud of, something to embrace.

She never expected love to bring so much trouble, so much turmoil, and so much grief. Never.

XXX

During one particularly lonely afternoon, Kelsey strolled down a hall quietly, hoping to run into Sirius. He had told her to meet him in the Astronomy Tower sometime during that hour. He had left late last night with the other Marauders and hadn't returned. Kelsey had sat in that tower gazing at the gleaming full moon for hours. Sleep wasn't particularly enjoyable anymore. She must preferred to stargaze.

So as she wasted time walking down the hall, she wondered what the Marauders did when they were alone. She could only imagine what fun, witty banter between them, the ruthless exchange of future prank ideas, and their derisive talk of girls at the school.

She longed for the kind of friendship they held. They were so loyal to one another, so aware of what the others were thinking.

"Well, if it isn't Meadowes," a voice sneered from across the hall. Kelsey's head snapped back to reality and away from the realm of daydreams. She couldn't help but roll her soft, brown eyes as she spotted Mary, followed by what seemed the entire school.

_What is this?_, she wondered nervously, feeling hundreds of eyes upon her, surveying her, judging her.

"Mary," Kelsey said icily, spotting the crowd for Dorcas. Surprisingly, her sister wasn't with her gang of cronies. "What can I do for you?"

Mary threw her blonde head back, letting out a chillingly sharp laugh. "Absolutely nothing, dear girl. What could _I _have to ask of someone like _you_?"

_Great, I go out to take a walk and I get ambushed by Mary and the entire seventh year. Just great_, Kelsey thought bitterly.

"I don't know," Kelsey told her. "Why don't you tell me, considering, well, you're clearly jealous."

"Jealous?" Mary barked out, allowing others near her to laugh a bit as well. "What on Earth would I be jealous of, Meadowes?"

"Hm, well, let me think about this," Kelsey said sarcastically, resting her hands on her chin thoughtfully. "Couldn't be the fact that Sirius left you for me, could it?"

"Left me?" the girl retorted, attempting to keep her tone confidant and domineering. "Sirius Black leave me? You've obviously been misinformed. I was the one to leave him."

"And yes, he's definitely heartbroken about that," Kelsey told the girl. She smirked and elaborated, "Mary, he left you and now you're taking out your jealousy on me. I may not be popular, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid. I can put two and two together and well, you're definitely the one acting like the injured party in this situation."

Blushing red furiously, Mary lunged toward Kelsey quickly, reaching to grab the soft, curled locks on her head. Kelsey reached back, grabbing onto Mary's straight blonde hair and tugging hard. The crowd egged the two girls on, blocking the Professors from sight of the brawl.

Kelsey felt Mary smack her lip roughly, allowing small drops of blood to flow freely from the fresh wound. Savagely, all the hurt and vulnerability Kelsey had been feeling was ready to be released. She raised her arm back, forming a fist and hitting the girl squarely in the jaw.

As Mary stumbled back with the final blow, Kelsey caught someone's eyes. She saw Sirius, his head hung low and his eyes narrowed in shame. There was no denying the change in his glance. He was indeed seeing her differently.

XXX

As Kelsey quietly crept into the Astronomy Tower that night, she found Sirius lazing on the window sill, his face deep in thought. She hadn't been able to reach through the crowd after the fight to catch up with him. She hadn't been able to explain.

"Why've you been avoiding me?"

The question struck the atmosphere, breaking the silence that had once been so thick and resistant. She had muttered those five words, hoping for a decent explanation, an answer to her newfound confusion.

He didn't reply. He couldn't reply. He was contemplating, fighting an ongoing internal battle. She wanted to reach out to him, to grab his hand, to coarse her hands through his hair. Yet, she remained in the doorway. She felt some inclination to do so, her instinct advising her.

"What's wrong with you, Sirius? Why are you acting so different?" she demanded, her voice trembling in fear. Something was screaming inside of her, something strong and forceful.

"I'm acting different?" he retorted quickly, far too quickly. "How can you possibly ask that, Kels? How can you ask that when you've become a completely different person?"

His words hit her hard, stinging her insides gruesomely. She hadn't changed that much. She'd though she'd grown more assertive, more strong, more sociable. She was becoming all that she had wanted. Why couldn't he understand that?

"You're morphing into something superficial. Something that you're not. You're becoming like every other blasted girl in this school. You're not real anymore, Kelsey," he told her brokenly. "You're just not real. You've lost your ambition, your drive, your spunk. You've lost it all. And you know what? I blame myself. I've done it to you."

"You? Isn't that a bit egotistical?" she quipped angrily.

"Look in the mirror, Kelsey! Look at your bruised face! How many fights had you gotten in before you knew me? None, I'm presuming. Mary wouldn't be your problem if it wasn't for me. She wouldn't have even targeted you at all. You'd have been off of her radar. You'd be the same Kelsey Meadowes I once longed for," he told her. "But now, I don't even know you."

"You don't mean that," she told him, messy tears falling unevenly from her eyes. "How can you say that after all we've been through?"

"Because, Kels, I don't like who you're becoming," he told her.

"What? Assertive, proud, and confidant? I can take care of myself now and that somehow makes me less desirable?" she asked him harshly. "Are you mad that I'm no longer your damsel in distress?"

"You don't even realize it," he told her, walking towards the door and heading down the stairs. "You're still the damn damsel."

**A/N: Please review.**


	10. All You Wanted

**Anything But Ordinary**

**Chapter 10-All You Wanted**

Following the fight, Kelsey experienced what could be referred to as an extreme cyclone of change. It didn't matter to the rest of the student body that for the last seven years, Kelsey had been a nobody. It didn't matter to hardly anyone that for the first time, Kelsey Meadowes' name meant something. Yet, it mattered to some people. Four, in particular.

Mary, for one, was extremely displeased at the fact that her confrontational plan had completely backfired upon her. Not only had Kelsey walked off with a bit of pride, but she had acquired the life Mary had grown so comfortably accustomed to. Kelsey was now replacing Mary as the leading female within the walls, control suddenly becoming available to her disposal. Mary wasn't exactly shunned, but she was no longer treated as she had once been before. She was no longer anyone, merely a passing face within the crowd.

Dorcas observed the steady change within the social circle of Hogwarts, taking in the renovations with a wary eye. She could see that without Sirius, Kelsey was going to lose the grasp she had once help upon her life, choosing to please the crowd rather than the individual. Yet, her words were no longer impacting upon her sister. Dorcas couldn't prevent Kelsey from living her life, from making her own mistakes. She'd already made quite a few and well, she was facing the consequences. There was nothing more she could do, but sit and watch as it all unfolded.

Sirius knew that Kelsey was at her most vulnerable, was at her weakest, and could do nothing but watch as the crowd sucked her in. She was becoming the type of girl he'd always gone after, the type of girl the Marauders were known for bringing in. All but James. James Potter had been the one individual of the group, choosing to chase after one girl who, although she did run with their social circle, was not a complete sell-out. Lily Evans aspired to make something of herself one day. She had goals, inspirations. She was all that the typical girl resented. Now, James had her. After many long, hard years of enduring complete, dismal rejection, James had finally managed to reach the one girl who had stricken him differently, who had stricken them all differently. And Sirius, who had thought he'd found someone just as special, had no one.

Without Sirius, Kelsey assumed she'd fall into a pit of hopeless desperation. She had figured that without him to guide her, she'd become lost and unsheltered. But, it had all unfolded in a completely ironic way. No longer was she the outsider watching from afar. She was actually involved, she was actually within the crowd, and now, she actually mattered.

XXX

It was a strange, new feeling to walk down the hall and actually receive greetings, to actually walk alongside one of Hogwart's elite. Kelsey, who had always viewed herself as the type to blend in, thought that now she had more reason to shine. She could prove to Sirius that even without him she could persevere. She didn't need a boyfriend to become someone. That hadn't been what it was about at all.

Although he'd never said it, she knew he regarded their relationship as a way for her to gain more friends when in actuality, it had always been genuine. Yet, he hadn't stayed to listen to her. He had only heard what he'd wished, only saw what he wished, and now, she figured they were better off. Together, they endured so much drama. Apart, there was room for improvement.

The week preceding Hogsmeade was filled with many golden opportunities. Kelsey no longer had to worry about shutting herself away in her room and wallowing as she watched Dorcas get ready to go out. She didn't have to be concerned with the fact that no one even cared if she arrived. Because, now, they did.

It was one particularly chilly afternoon that Kelsey found herself heading to the library, her sweater half-heartedly thrown around her shoulders. It had taken at least ten minutes to escape the common room, questions being thrown at her left and right.

_Was she going to attend the party that night? Was she going to their study session in the Great Hall the following day?_

It was endless. It seemed as if the people she now considered her friends were never left without something to do. Ironically, she barely knew the names of any of them. There were just so many people to keep track of, people she hadn't even heard of before she'd gotten in a fight with Mary. That fight, that simple outburst of anger, had sealed the deal for Kelsey. It was with that fight that Kelsey had brought shame to Mary, the bitch of the castle. Apparently, none of them had ever liked Mary. They had all just been too scared to do anything about it. And so, they had taken Kelsey in as her replacement.

"Kelsey?" a voice interrupted hesitantly, bringing Kelsey's frantic thoughts and steps to a halt. She turned her head abruptly, her brown eyes curious and inquisitive.

She saw a boy from her common room, a boy who'd been watching her lately. It hadn't really creeped her out, but it had inspired questions as to what exactly he was looking at. He was rather tall, blonde, and extremely bright eyed. His flirtatious grin had not gone unnoticed and she had taken into account of the fact that he did socialize with the same people she did. It was Falcon Malley, a boy she hadn't even heard of before become one of Hogwart's 'it' girls.

Sometimes, she regarded herself as a bit of a hypocrite, considering the fact that after seven years, she hadn't taken the time to learn half of the names of people within her common room. For the first time, she realized that perhaps they weren't at fault. Perhaps it had been her own fault for being cast aside. Perhaps she should have taken more of an initiative. Yet, she thought that her initiative had been befriending Sirius. And she'd seen how quickly things with him had escalated.

"Falcon," Kelsey greeted pleasantly, flashing him a toothy smile that was surprisingly pleasant despite the fact that she really did need to hurry to the library before Madam Pince closed it up. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a figure standing in the shadows. It was probably Severus Snape of someone equally as disturbing who enjoyed mingling within the darkness.

"It seems you're getting along rather nicely with your new _friends_," he commented, walking slowly around her, his hand at his chin in a way that expressed current interest. Her mind was begging her feet to move but for some reason, they remained planted upon the hard floor. She couldn't deny her own interest.

For almost a week Falcon had been watching her, eyeing her with his intense blue eyes and nearly studying her. It was as if she was some sort of circus performance, full of laughs and amusement. But for some reason, she felt intuitive to the fact that her wasn't watching her for kicks and giggles. There was something going on, something he was most likely going to bring up.

"Yes," she agreed hesitantly, the figure in the shadows still lurking in the back of her mind. She wondered, momentarily, whether it was Sirius. That would be extremely plausible, considering he _had _been keeping a careful eye on her since their break up two weeks ago. But, for some reason, she knew it wasn't. Another part of her, a part that she had once been so in touch with, wished it was him. "Everyone's just been so friendly since that incident with Mary. I can't say I'm not grateful."

"And why shouldn't they be friendly?" he asked her, his hand going to her chin, cupping it tenderly in his palm. It was a bit strange to have another guy touching her besides Sirius. She couldn't say she was used to it. Although, it wasn't something to complain about. He seemed nice enough, friendly even. "You're such a bright, intelligent girl. Beautiful girls such as yourself shouldn't be left in the dust when there is plenty of potential."

She wanted to know exactly what this potential was, but figured it would probably seem extremely adolescent to ask. Instead, she simply brushed a strand of wavy brown hair from her eyes and nodded, as if allowing him to go on.

Cutting to the chase, he removed his hand, which went instinctively to his pocket, and asked, "What are you doing this weekend?"

"Going to Hogsmeade," she told him immediately, the weekend plans still ripe in her brain. That's all she'd been hearing about lately. There was supposedly going to be a huge get together in the Hog's Head, the only pub in the entire village that served fire whiskey to minors. "Why? Aren't you?"

"Of course," he answered briskly, smiling in a shy, almost unexpected, manner. "But, I was wondering whether you'd like someone to accompany you? Someone like, let's say, me?"

He was asking her out. It all made sense. The staring, the shy demeanor, the flirtatious grins. He knew she was off the market now, officially, and he was taking Sirius Black's sloppy seconds. It had indeed surprised her. She had figured many guys wouldn't even want to risk going near her knowing Sirius' reputable bad temper. But, Falcon seemed more than willing and he seemed to actually want to go out with her.

So, reluctantly, she agreed. And as he walked off, she couldn't help but feel a rising heat appear within her cheeks. Bringing a hand to them, feeling the warmth, Kelsey grinned like the seventeen year old girl that she was. She hadn't ever officially been on a date. She and Sirius had spent all their time within the castle, hanging out and kissing. But, they'd never sat down and eaten an actual meal or gone out to actually do something productive.

To think, her first date wouldn't be with her first boyfriend. It was completely contradictive to what she'd imagined for herself as a little girl, but this was her life now. She couldn't live in the past. Sirius wasn't her boyfriend anymore and Falcon seemed like a really nice guy.

Walking back to the common room, she didn't even notice the fact that a pair of identical brown eyes were watching her from the shadows. Dorcas lurked out from within them, her books clenched tightly to her chest, and concern that she couldn't express adorning her face.

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Set up for next chapter. Hope you liked it.**


	11. Caricature of Intimacy

**Anything But Ordinary**

**Chapter 11 - Caricature of Intimacy**

Dorcas was well aware that she should warn her sister about Falcon. Considering the fact that the two of them weren't exactly on the best of terms, she felt it was in her best interest to just let her concern go. If only it were that easy..

She knew who Falcon Malley was. It'd be impossible for her not to. He was your typical rich boy, born with a silver spoon protruding from his pretentious mouth. Wealthy, charming, incredibly good-looking, Falcon had not only been born with that silver spoon, but with desirability. It was natural for the girls of Hogwarts to be attracted to his carefree way, his smooth words, his almost convincing reassurance.

Dorcas had never first handedly been disappointed, but she had watched over the years as girls in her year, sometimes younger, began to realize that they weren't exactly lucky to have a boy like Falcon in their lives.

Despite the fact that Dorcas knew she shouldn't care, despite the fact that she knew Kelsey needed to make her own mistakes, she couldn't let it go.

And so, she went to the one person who she knew could help her, putting all personal differences aside for her sister's integrity.

XXX

She found him on the grounds, a lit cigarette clenched between his thumb and index finger, dark stubble growing on the cheeks that had once been cleanly shaved regularly. Sirius Black, the former king of popularity, looked like shit.

He didn't even bother to look up at her, didn't bother to even acknowledge her presence. Not that she blamed him much. She'd given him hell during the time that he'd dated her sister. She didn't expect forgiveness; she didn't even want it.

All she wanted was someone who cared and sadly, as much as it contradicted what she'd once believed, he was the only one she could honestly say did. He knew Kelsey better than even she did. Perhaps not so much anymore, but deep down, he knew the part of her that mattered.

"She needs help, Sirius," Dorcas voiced, her brown eyes settled on his downcast eyes, the eyes that refused to meet her own. Sucking on the tip of his cigarette, releasing the smoke after several moments of thought, he turned his head, meeting her gaze.

"Not my problem," he insisted, shrugging his shoulders.

"I realize that," Dorcas assured him sarcastically, fighting off how perturbed she was and reminding herself that this wasn't about the two of them. This was about Kelsey and that was more important than some stupid grudge that had formed between herself and her sister's ex-boyfriend. "But I'm making it your problem."

He looked at her, almost disgusted by her words, but she'd caught his attention. "She's a big girl," he reminded Dorcas, ironically reflecting back to how childish she'd seemed the night they'd broken up. "Apparently, in case you haven't heard, she's no damsel. Which means, luckily enough, I'm no knight."

The look upon her face seemed to ask him once more, begging him to reconsider that thought. The two of them both knew how foolish and stupid Kelsey Meadowes could be.

"No dice, sweetheart," he told her, dropping the cigarette to the ground and walking away. He'd never smoked in his life. At least, not before Kelsey Meadowes. He supposed he needed a new bad habit now that she was out of his life.

"Falcon Malley," Dorcas yelled across the grounds, hugging her arms to keep warm from the chilly wind breezing by. She watched as he paused, his steps coming to a halt. Of course, she knew that name would help him reconsider.

He turned to her, his stony gray eyes empty and broken, so unlike the reckless charmer Dorcas knew him to be. "I can't," he told her quietly, sighing under his breath and running a hand through his hair. "She doesn't need me anymore. I know why you're asking, Meadowes, but if he's the kind of guy she wants in her life, then you've just got to let her carry on."

Of course, deep down, he was sort of grateful that a jerk like Falcon Malley was interested in Kelsey. Perhaps it'd help her realize that she did need saving; she did need him.

XXX

"The Hog's Head?" Kelsey asked, her tone clearly disappointed as Falcon took her coat. The two of them had arranged to meet in front of Honeydukes and Falcon had told her that he had 'a surprise' for her. Of course, she'd assumed that they'd be going to a restaurant or even take a walk through the village. But, the Hog's Head was certainly not first date material.

"Just trust me," he whispered into her ear, leading her by the hand towards a dusty staircase, the ceiling lined with broken cobwebs above the tips of their heads. He led her up the creaking stairs, winking at the old bartender that owned the pub. Apparently, they knew one another.

"Falcon," Kelsey protested, a bit curious as to how he'd gotten approval from the bartender. As they came to a door, Falcon tapped on the door, footsteps following his knock.

And immediately, Kelsey knew why they'd come to the Hog's Head. Not only was it a bar, but it was an inn as well. And currently, there was a party taking place in the lounge. She did her best to hide the disappointment. She'd been to more parties than she'd ever want to attend in the past two weeks. This was sure to be the same as the other parties.

But, if this was what he wanted to do, she figured she needed to loosen up. She'd straightened her hair once again, hoping that maybe this time she'd have a bit more luck, and applied her make-up carefully. She'd only wanted the occasion to be nice, to be memorable. It was her first date, after all. But, how was Falcon supposed to know that? She had, after all, dated Sirius Black for awhile. It was only fair for him to assume that she'd been on other dates before.

She watched as he grabbed a large drink for himself, downing half of the bottles contents and throwing back his blonde head in laughter, passing the bottle to her. She politely refused, walking away from him and his buddies to go amuse herself in the corner.

She hadn't expected a party. She felt sort of bad for Falcon. She'd set high expectations for their date, hoping it'd surpass anything she and Sirius had done together.

But, as life tended to be cruel, the outcome had only served to disappoint her.

XXX

Sirius watched in the corner, sipping on a shot glass of gillywater. Of course, he hadn't told Dorcas that he'd come. That'd only prove that he wanted Kelsey back. And he didn't want anyone to know that at the moment. He wasn't ready to fight just yet.

He was close enough so that he could hear her, even if only slightly, but secluded enough so that she wouldn't notice him. He wasn't ready for that particular confrontation yet. He wasn't ready for her again, if ever. But, he just couldn't seem to give her up.

His eyes narrowed as Falcon walked towards her, his steps staggering from the buzz of his drink. Sirius listened as the prat directed his words towards Kelsey, "I've been looking everywhere for you."

Even half-way drunk the bloke could sound convincing. And it bothered him so much that Kelsey was still there, still waiting on Falcon Malley.

Abruptly, Sirius couldn't bear to hear what she had to say to him. He knew it would only make matters worst.

XXX

"I've been looking everywhere for you."

His voice had come out of the dark, sending chills up her spine. She hadn't expected to hear his voice. She figured he was off enjoying himself, doing what she should have been.

He set beside her, hugging her bare shoulders and resting his chin on the exposed skin. "Tonight not what you hoped for?"

Her eyes peered into the distance, spotting a blur of windswept hair and a familiar leather coat. Of course, it was Sirius. She should have realized that he would have been there. She should have asked Falcon to take her somewhere else. But, a part of her had been hoping he'd be there. A part of her had been hoping to confront Sirius, to prove to him that she was fine without him.

"I guess I just thought we'd be alone," she told him quietly. "That this date would be a bit more intimate.

He sat in silence for a couple of moments, his blue eyes meeting her brown ones, as if proposing a question. And she didn't seem to be turning him down. He stood up slowly, his hand finding hers, dragging her to one of the empty rooms.

XXX

The only noise she could hear was the sound of her own beating heart nervously thumping against her chest and the sound of their hot, tentative breathing. Their limbs were intertwined, the sheets serving as a wall from the rest of the world.

As she sat up, buttoning her camisole, she heard him pass out on the bed. Walking away after slipping into the rest of her clothes, not bothering to fix her smudged make-up, she let the tears run their course along her cheeks, knowing she'd make a mistake.

Maybe she was still the damn damsel. Maybe Sirius had been right after all.

XXX

The Gryffindor common room was crowded as always, the thickening sound of the turning of pages, the buzzing chatter, filling the room completely. But, as Sirius watched Kelsey walk up to her dorm, her eyes filled with tears, her mascara running down her rosy cheeks, the only sound that he seemed to hear was no sound at all. The silence filling his eardrums was deafening, the loudest noise of them all.

And he felt a hand fall on his shoulder in sympathy. Looking into Dorcas Meadowes' eyes, he knew she'd come to the same assumption as him.

"You're not mad at Falcon," she told him, her voice casting off a maturity he hadn't expected. She hardly seemed sixteen years old, in his opinion. "He's not the problem. It's her. It's always her."

"You're right," he croaked out, fighting back tears of his own, clenching his fist just to feel his knuckles tighten. "I just thought she'd wait for me."

"And she would have," Dorcas told him, beginning to walk up the stairs of the girls' dorm. "But you weren't there to save her."

**A/N: Well? Let me know what you think. Please review.**


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